Vermont Supports Ukrainian Refugees

Vermonters respond to legal immigration by building bridges, not walls. “So many people have reached out to help,” says Iryna, one of the two young mothers who escaped war-torn territories in Ukraine to find safety for her children here in the Green Mountain State. Local residents have an accessory dwelling unit on their property, and so they decided to sponsor Iryna, her friend Tonya, and their three children when they applied for asylum. Iryna has two children, and Tonya has one. The five of them currently live together in a one-bedroom house.

“We first went to Prague, but the people didn’t want us. They made it very hard on the children, insulting them and chastising them for being refugees. Then we went to Berlin where the treatment was even worse. We were so grateful when we got the chance to come to America.”

While they are eternally grateful for their current accommodations, they need more room. In order to afford a larger home, they need jobs; in order to hold jobs, they need a car. They currently work several jobs, relying on employers to pick them up, or they ride bicycles. But bicycles will not be an option when winter comes.

“We love it here. The American children have been so kind, we would like to stay as long as our visas allow and eventually apply for citizenship. We don’t’ know what will be left when and if we ever get home to Ukraine. My mother’s apartment was bombed just yesterday,” Iryna said.

Iryna’s husband passed away before the war, but Tonya’s husband serves on the front lines. “We pray for him every day. He says knowing we are safe gives him the courage to fight for our freedom,” Tonya said.

Please help support these two brave mothers who have captured the hearts of all who know them as they fight to keep their young children safe. They need cash donations which will be used to buy a car, rent a home and buy the essentials they will need to get settled. Any amount will help. Thank you!